Vapor-engine.



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J. TIMMINS.

Patented Jan 24; 1911.

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J. TIMMINS.

VAPOR ENGINE. urmonron nmm JULY '1, mo.

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JOSEPH TIMMINS, 0F RUCKINGS, NEAR ASHFORD, ENGLAND.

VAPOR-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Application filed July 7, 1910. Serial No. 570,793.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr TIa'rMINs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Fair View, Ruckings, near Ashford, in the county of Kent, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vapor engines, and the invention consists in providing a suitably heated vaporizer and in surrounding the engine cylinders wherein the vapor acts by jackets which contain a fluid maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinder.

The invention also consists in surrounding certain working parts of the engine with a casing which contains a lubricating liquid in its lower part, and inclosing the engine proper, but not tl 1e vaporizer, within a casing and maintaining a partial vacuum in the latter.

The invention also consists in providing means for condensing the exhaust vapor conveying the condensed vapor back to the vaporizer, and separating the lubricating liquid from the condensed vapor.

The invention further consists in providing an inclosing casing for the cylinders, said casing containing oil or other liquid having a higher boiling point or temperature than the liquid to be vaporized and traversing the casing by piping connected with the vaporizer and containing vapor which takes up further heat from the oil in the casing of the engine.

The invention also comprises various constructions of parts and accessories thereto.

By this invention the vapor is enabled to work at an economical expansion and adiabatically, and all condensation of the vapors is prevented in the cylinders. The vapor in the high pressure cylinders may be super' heated.

In the accompanying drawings :-F igure 1 is a part sectional elevation of a vapor engine constructed, according to this inven tion, on the compound principle, having two high pressure and two low pressure inverted single-acting cylinders and a four-throw crank shaft, and Fig. 2 is a sectional eleva tion of a modification also on the compound principle but with only one high pressure cylinder and one low pressure cylinder. The form of the invention shown in Fig. 1

has however no more to do with the fact of its being in that case shown with two high pressure and two low pressure cylinders than that the form shown in Fig. 2 has only one high pressure and one low pressure cylinder. This will be more clearly understood from the following description and claims.

The vapor employed as a driving power is that from a volatile liquid which boils at a low heat, say less than 150 F. (65 (3.). The liquid is vaporized in any suitable apparatus but by preference in one or more coils of small pipes l passing through a pipe coil 2 of slightly larger diameter which is contained within a casing 3 and is heated externally by a gas, petroleum or other burner device 4 or by a coal fire. The annular space between the pipes 1 and-2 con tains oil or other suitable liquid or fluid having higher boiling point than the liquid, which when vaporized acts as the motive power. The oil is arranged to circulate in the aforesaid annular space.

5 designates a four throw crank shaft which is driven by connecting rods 6 that are jointed to pistons 7 in the two high pressure cylinders 8 and the two low pressure cylinders 9. The cylinders rest on a table framing or girders l0 and are supplied with motive vapor by slide or other valves, which may be arranged between and at the top of the cylinders, as for instance here shown, and worked by rods 11 from cams 12 on the shaft 5 in well known manner. The shaft passes out from the casing 13 which incloses the engine proper, but not the vaporizer 3, through inner and outer stuiling boxes 14: and 15 respectively, the spaces between the latter being filled with thick oil, to assist in excluding the air. The shaft runs in bearings 16 between the cranks. From the shaft 5 are driven a force pump 17 and a vacuum pump 18, in this example by the intervention of tooth wheels 19 and 20, crank shaft 21 and connecting rods 22. The vapor having acted on the top of the pistons 7 in the high pressure cylinders 8, being cut off at say about half stroke, then enters the low prescure cylinders 9 and expands therein with or without an intermediate heated receiver, whereupon the vapor enters a separator wherein the cylinder lubricating oil is separated. This separator is made preferably in the form of a cylinder 24 terminating below in a cone 25 of wire gauze or the like and to low pressure cylinder having entered the separator cylinder 21 at the top by a pipe 31 and passing through a gauze screen 33, then passes out laterally by a pipe 32 and enters a surface condenser 35 of some suitable con- A struction and is passed thence under pressure by the pump 18 and pipe 341 through a surface condenser 37, and by the force pump 17 to the vaporizer or pipe coil 1 and so on. The vacuum pump 18 is a compound one,

one barrel maintaining the vacuum in the comparatively large condenser 35 and the other barrel maintaining the pressure in the small condenser 37. I may provide 111 connection wlth the latter an air chamber 36 which is fitted at the upper end with a pressure gage 39 and a safety valve 40 which opens when the internal pressure exceeds a predetermined amount; the safety valve is inclosed in a case 41 wherefrom a pipe 42 -leads to the bottom of a vessel 44 partially filled with heavy oil, water or other suitable liquid through which the air bubbles pass with the view to separate from the a1r passing out through the safety valve any vapors ,that may be held in suspension therein.

The cylinders 8 and 9 as well as the valve boxes are suitably jacketed, by preference in the manner shown according to which the upper part of the cylinders receives the hottest part of the liquid; for it has been found that the thick oil contained in the space between the inner pipe 1 and the outer pipe 2 and which communicates with the coil in the vaporizer forms a suitable acket. The Oll heating the walls of the cylinder circulates freely in said space and thereby heats the upper part of the cylinders to a higher degree than the lower part, so that the hot vapor in the upper part has a hotter jacket 'so to say than the expanded and therefore cooler vapor in the lower part. The branch pipe 60 from the pipe 2 enters the jacket of the small cylinder 8, and the lower partof this jacket communicates by the pipe 61 with the upper part of the acket around the large cylinder 9. The inner pipe 1 conveys vapor to the valve box 62.

The engine is surrounded by the casing 13 and at the top covers (not shown) are provided for inspection of the interior. In connection with this jacket or air case 13 aseparate vacuum pump and condenser may be provided for the purpose of maintaining a lower vacuum therein than in the large condenser 35 of the engine but sufficient for acting as a non-conductor of heat and for drawing off any vapors that may leak out from the engine. The cranks work in a bath of oil in the lower part of the engine casing, and a vacuum is maintained in the intermediate chamber 16 between the inner and outer casing in order to recover any vapor that may leak from any oint and to act as a nonconductor of heat. The upper part of the casing may as shown be made easily removable and to bolt on to the lower part. In large engines an outer casing might however not be suitable but in that case the valve rods pass through a box with stuffing box at each end, andv the space between them is connected by a pipe with the condenser 35 and thereby exhausted. The crank chamber is connected by a pipe 17 with the condenser 35; the inner end of this pipe is or may be provided with a shield or hood to prevent the oil from escaping into the condenser.

The pipe coils within the vaporizer or boiler may as stated in the preamble be continued into the casing which surrounds the cylinders and having worked in the cylinders then pass off to the condenser. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 2. The pipe coils 50 and 51 are here also shown arranged in a vaporizer or boiler 52. The annular space between the coils contains as before mentioned oil or other fluid having a higher boiling point or temperature than that of the liquid to be vaporized and forms a acket wherein the oil or other fluid is arranged to circulate. The inner pipe 50 is continued as a further coil or pipe 56 which surrounds the two cylinders 53 and 54 that work on the compound principle, the vapor, having worked expansively in the cylinder 53, passing into the cylinder 54 and then pasing on to the condenser. The other parts of the engine may be constructed similarly to the engine already described with reference to Fig. 1. The casing 55 contains the continuation 56 of the inner coil 50 and the outlet from the outer coil 51; the casing is filled with the heated fluid in which the cylinders and the coil 56 are immersed. The casing 55 is provided with a lagging 57 of non-conducting material.

I claim 1. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer, means for heating the latter, cylinders communicating with the vaporizer, fluid containing jackets surrounding the cylinders, said fluid being maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinders, valves for admitting and emitting the vapor to and from the cylinders, means for condensing the exhaust vapors, means for conducting the condensed vapor back to the vaporizer, a casing con taining a lubricating liquid surrounding the working parts of the engine and means for partly exhausting air from said casing.

2. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer, means for heating the latter, cylinders communicating with the vaporizer, fluid containing jackets surrounding the cylinders, said fluid being maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinders, valves for admitting and emitting the vapor to and from the cylinders, means for condensing the exhaust vapors, means for conducting the condensed vapors back to the vaporizer, a casing containing a lubricating liquid surrounding the working parts of the engine, means for partly exhausting the air from said casing, a casing inclosing the engine proper but not the vaporizer, and means for maintaining a partial vacuum in the latter casin 3. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer, means for heating the latter, cylinders communicating with the vaporizer, fluid containing jackets surrounding the cylinders, said fluid being maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapors in the cylinders, pistons, connecting rods, crank shaft, crank shaft bearings, valves for admitting and emitting the vapor, means for conducting the condensed vapor back to the vaporizer, a casing containing a lubricating liquid surrounding the working parts of the engine, means for partly exhausting the air from the casing, and a casing inclosing the cylinders and containing a liquid which is maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the cylinders.

4:. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer consisting of a casing, a coil in the latter, a pipe passing through said coil, means for heating the coil, a pipe continuation from the coil to the engine, a connection from the pipe to the valve box of the high pressure cylinder, a connection from the coil to the upper part of a high pressure cylinder jacket, a connection from the lower part of said jacket to the upper part of a low pressure cylinder jacket, a connection from the lower part of said jacket to the lower part of the coil, a fluid in the cylinder jackets 1naintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinders, valves for admitting and emitting the vapor to and from the cylinders, means for con densing the exhaust vapors, means for conducting the condensed vapors back to the vaporizer, a casing containing a lubricating l1qu 1d surrounding the working parts of the engme, and means for partly exhausting the air from the casing.

5. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer, means for heating the latter, cyllnders communicating with the vaporizer, fluid containing jackets surrounding the cyllnders, said fluld being maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinders, valves for admitting and emitting the vapor to and from the cyllnders, means for condensing the exhaust vapors, means for conducting the condensed vapors back to the vaporizer, an air chamber in connection with said means, a pressure gage and a safety valve on said chamber, a case surrounding the safety valve, a vessel, a pipe leading from the case to the bottom of said vessel which contains water, oil or other absorbent liquid for separating from the air escaping through the safety valve any vapors that may be held in suspension therein, a casing containing a lubricating liquid surrounding the working parts of the engine, and means for partly exhausting the air from the casing.

G. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer, means for heating the latter, cylinders communicating with the vaporizer, fluid containing jackets surrounding the cylinders, said fluid being maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinders, valves for admitting and emitting the vapor to and from the cylinders, a condenser for condensing the vapors exhausted from the engine, an air pump for exhausting said vapors, a smaller condenser for condensing under pressure any uncondensed vapor that may pass through said air pump, a pump for conducting the condensed vapor back to the vaporizer and a casing containing a lubricating liquid surrounding the working parts of the engine.

7. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer, means for heating the latter, cylinders communicating with the vaporizer, fluid containing jackets surrounding the cylinders, said fluid being maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinders, valves for admitting and omitting the vapor to and from the cylinders, means for condensing the exhaust vapors, means for conducting the condensed vapor back to the vaporizer, an exhaust plpe connecting the engine to the condenser, a separator in the exhaust pipe consisting of a vessel terminating below in a cone of wire gauze or the like, a jacket surrounding the cone and provided with an inlet and an outlet, a pipe connecting the vessel with the engine exhaust, a pipe connecting the vessel with the condenser, a casing containing a lubricating liquid surrounding the working parts of the engine and means for partly ex hausting the air from the casing.

8. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer, means for heating the latter, cylinders communicating with the vaporizer, fluid containing jackets surrounding the cylinders, said fluid being maintalned at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinders, valves for admitting and emitting the vapor to and from the cylinders, means for condensing the exhaust vapors, means for conductlng the condensed vapor back to the vaporizer, a casing containing a lubricating liquid surrounding the working parts of the engine, a casing inclosing the engine proper but not the vaporizer, means for maintaining a partial vacuum in the said inclosing casing for the purpose of preventing loss of heat and for drawing off any vapors that may leak out from the engine, double stufiing boxes through which the crank shaft of the engine passes out of the outer inclosing casing, and intermediate spaces filled with a thick oil to assist in excluding the air at the stufling boxes.

9. A vapor engine comprising a fluid vaporizer, means for heating the latter, tWo high pressure cylinders and two low pressure cylinders adapted to receive the exhaust vapor from the high pressure cylinders, a jacket surrounding each cylinder and containing a fluid Which is maintained at a considerably higher temperature than that of the vapor in the cylinders, pistons, connecting rods, crank shaft With four cranks, tWo and two at right angles to each other, crank shaft bearings, valves for admitting the vapor to the high pressure cylinders and thence to the low pressure cylinders, a surface condenser for receiving and condensing the exhaust vapors from the latter, a pump Which conveys the condensed vapor to an auxiliary condenser, a pipe connecting the condenser and pump, a pump Which conveys the condensed vapor back to the vaporizer, gearings, connecting rods and a small crank shaft for driving the pumps from the engine crank shaft, a casing inclosing the engine proper but not the vaporizer, means for maintaining a partial vacuum in the said inclosing casing, and a casing containing a lubricating liquid surrounding the Working parts of the engine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH TIMMINS.

Vitnesses P. PHILLIPS, H. D. JAMnsoN. 

